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Monthly Archives: August 2015

This weeks Brew of the Week goes out to Minneapolis’ Bent Brewstillery. This brewery may not be the most well known out of the dozens that exist in the Twin Cities, but they should be. Making anything from experimental brews to bourbon – they should be highly recognized in the area.

Bent Brewstillery’s Uber Lupin Swarz IPA, is one tasty brew. While its taste is more related to that of a Porter, it still is one that hits the spot. The flavor profile is quite robust, featuring: Malts, Chocolate, Coffee, Pine and maybe even toffee. This brew is quite unique and deserves a try from anyone that enjoys a dark beer – I mean this beer is as dark as they get. Sitting at a whopping 8.3% ABV, this one should be a staple dark beer in the Twin Cities.

Opening in theaters today is a new post-apocalyptic drama from director Craig Zobel (Great World of Sound, Compliance) titled Z For Zachariah. The film comes from an adaptation of Robert C. O’Brien‘s 1975 novel of the same name by screenwriter Nissar Modi (Breaking at the Edge) about a trio of survivors living in a post World War III environment who find themselves entwined in an intense love-triangle as the only known survivors of the nuclear fallout. Making up the three-member cast line-up is Oscar-nominated actor Chiwetel Ejiofor (American Gangster, 12 Years A Slave), and actors Chris Pine (Unstoppable, Star Trek: Into Darkness), and Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street, Focus). Continue reading →

Every year the Toronto International Film Festival serves as one of the major international film festivals that close out the fiscal year, and this year’s festival is sure to feature an excellent celebration of Oscar-worthy filmmaking. Toronto’s film festival is usually filled with entries seen earlier in the year at festivals like Sundance and Cannes, but it also brings its own special line-up to its audience. This year several highly anticipated films will have the honor of being shown during the festivities, most notably the Whitey Bulger biopic Black Mass with Johnny Depp, Matt Damon‘s next space adventure following Interstellar titled The Martian, and one I personally am really excited to see, another biopic called Trumbo with Emmy-winner Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad, Godzilla) in the title role of McCarthy-era screenwriter Dalton Trumbo, whose film credits were published under various pseudonyms over the years after he was blacklisted during Senator McCarthy’s famous Communist-trials in the 1950s. Continue reading →

This photo series captures the above performances at 7th Street Entry, in downtown Minneapolis. While First Ave continues to get their shit together and fix their roof, we enjoyed a solid night of music next door. With opening acts of Tired Tongues and StoLyette, the night was then capped by a strong performance by Beasthead. The group ended their night by inviting both emcee’s from Glow Mechanics to the stage, nearly collapsing the functional roof above – or so it seemed. Scroll through the pics below and make sure to stay tuned for more from all three groups.

Pigeons & Planes will join forces with Staple Pigeon to bring another “No Ceilings” to Rough Trade Records (BK) tonight. The event will feature performances from Allan Kingdom, London O’Connor, Kevin Abstract, and Well$; each of which are currently on the up and up in their own right. Quite possibly the dopest event in Brooklyn this Wednesday, this one is all ages so head down to Williamsburg for what should be a good night.

Among the murmurs of Mario skateboarding expansions and games, the guys from Corridor Digital have decided to take things into their own hands. Known for their clean use of visual effects often in video game re-interpretations, these guys have really started to make a name for themselves on the web. A cool video that not only shows off what they can do, but also how awesome a Mario Skate game would be. Check out the video above and stay tuned for more.

Some might forget that we have places to see outside of Minneapolis and St.Paul. Maybe not those who are from here – I’m mostly referring to those who aren’t native to the state. Minnesota has one hell of a landscape, you just have to put the miles on your vehicle to get there.

Whether it is Grand Marais, Tettegouche State Park, Gooseberry Falls, the Palisade Head waters – the list goes on and on. It is really something that everyone in the midwest should experience. You can find cliffs to dive off, waterfalls, and some cold ass water to swim in. Jus to add to the experience, there are literally endless miles of trees and water with little to no civilization surrounding you. I mean, these are glacier lakes that have been well preserved for many years. See it to believe it.

A new action-thriller titled No Escape from writer/director John Erick Dowdle (Quarantine, As Above So Below) is now playing on big screens nationwide. Starring Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Midnight in Paris) and Lake Bell (Million Dollar Arm, In A World…), the film centers on an American couple and their children living in a SE Asian country who must flee to the American Embassy when a war breaks out between the local military and radical protesters taking to the streets. Golden Globe nominee Pierce Brosnan (GoldenEye, Die Another Day) and actor/producer Sahajak Boonthanakit (Elephant White, Only God Forgives) also appear in the supporting cast. The film was originally slated for a February release under the name The Coup but was pushed back for a Fall release instead. Director Dowdle and his brother Drew (who lent a hand in writing the script) are also producing the project through their company Dowdle Brothers Productions, along with The Weinstein Company and Bold Films. The trailer is available here on MADE. Enjoy!

It’s been well over a year since we premiered Chicago group Death By Icon’s first mixtape Trybecca, and yet once I began listening to their debut LP Hassah; it feels as if they’ve never left. Not too far from their original foray, but Hassah still commands it’s own unique feel. The pair sound sharper than ever on the vocals, they appear to know exactly how they wanted this one to sound with great results. The production takes a leap forward as well, there are traces of Trybecca but it feels more evolutionary. From the gritty, golden era “Sunderday” to the trap banger “Wake Up,” Hassah has a wide variety of sounds that coalesce rather nicely. Another step in the right direction for a group of artists who deserve to be on everyone’s radar, check out Hassah below.

Actor and playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney is best known for the acclaimed The Brother/Sister Plays trilogy and studied theater at Chicago’s DePaul University.

Writer/director Barry Jenkins (Medicine For Melancholy, Futurestates) will begin filming his own adaptation of the play In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue by playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney in Miami this fall. Simply titled Moonlight, the film follows a young man, Chiron, in 1980s Miami during the War on Drugs at three important moments in his life as he deals with a rough home-life and his developing sexuality. Additional casting for the film is currently underway and Indie film production company A24, which is also behind this year’s Ex Machina and Amy, will be teaming up with Brad Pitt’s Plan B Productions to finance the project. Adele Romanski (Bad Milo, War Story) will also serve as the film’s producer. This will be the second major production for director Jenkins, whose Medicine For Melancholy received much critical praise in 2008 when it was first seen at the SXSW Film Festival in 2008. Actor and playwright Terell Alvin McCraney was born in Miami, Florida in 1980 and attended the Theater School at Chicago’s DePaul University, graduating with a BFA in acting and receiving the Sarah Siddons Award in 2003. We’ll keep an eye out for additional news.